TAMPA BAY - The Florida Highway Patrol Troop C (Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Hernando, Sumter and Citrus counties) has announced the roads it plans to target with driver license and/or vehicle inspection checkpoints in February. FHP says the checkpoints will be conducted during daytime hours, and generally cause delays of five minutes or less. Scroll down for a list of all affected roads.

Folks, I excerpted this because I was not sure of the copyright issues involved.

A check of the maps shows that the proposed checkpoint locations are along all OUTBOUND roads from Tampa/St. Petersburg, running east and north. The interstate highways and toll roads are NOT being interdicted.

A ruse to manufacture an excuse to search the passenger compartment and trunk for guns or drugs.

My reaction to this would be they do not have permission to enter the vehicle or inspect the trunk. Only the external part of the vehicle....all their requirements for safety can be demonstrated by the driver (wipers, steering, lights, turn signals, etc.)

The license, registration and insurance stuff is perfunctory here in Georgia...you only have to carry a license...insurance, safety inspection, and registration are checkable from their comm link.

A more insidious possibility is an intensified search for contraband moving in the central FL area - and that includes, firearms.

Imagine that a vehicle gets stopped, and the officer observes a firearm. Instant probable cause to search the vehicle, the driver, and possibly confiscate the firearm if they can't prove ownership right there on the side of the road.

11
posted on 02/07/2013 9:14:46 AM PST
by Old Sarge
(We are officially over the precipice, we just havent struck the ground yet...)

Its not a warrantless search without probable cause. Its an inspection. Land of the free, home of the brave...

Please post an essay of not less than 5000 words comparing and contrasting the two (warrantless* search & inspection), be sure to cite your sources.

* -- The fourth amendment requires probable cause (supported by oath/affirmation) prior to issuing a warrant; therefore all warrants w/o probable cause should be nullity. (That, however, is a different topic.)

But seriously, the contortions the judicial-system [and government in general]** does to get around such restrictions the Constitution places is a thing to behold. (Absolutely ludicrous, to the point they should be laughed to derision and then tarred & feathered, and then 'escorted' out of town.)

** -- "Due process and judicial process are not one and the same, particularly when it comes to national security. The Constitution guarantees due process, not judicial process." (Eric Holder)

12
posted on 02/07/2013 9:21:25 AM PST
by OneWingedShark
(Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)

“bad brakes” sounds like “assault weapon” to me. How the hell does a roadside cop establish “bad brakes”, outside of
totally inoperative ones? Disc pads measured for thickness?
Rotors checked for true with a dial indicator?
Not buying into that explanation.

16
posted on 02/07/2013 9:35:08 AM PST
by Fireone
(Impeach and imprison, NOW! Treason and murder are still crimes.)

Years ago I was stopped at a drunk driver checkpoint at midnight while on my way home from work (hospital...evening shift).I rolled down the window and the cop stuck his head in and got a huge whiff of halitosis (I hadn’t had a drop).I was waved on and suddenly one of the cops yelled “stop” because he noticed that I didn’t have a valid inspection sticker on my car.But the state Supreme Court had already ruled that intoxication was the only thing such roadblocks could cite.So a few seconds after being told to stop I was waved on again.

20
posted on 02/07/2013 9:46:26 AM PST
by Gay State Conservative
("Progressives" toss the word "racist" around like chimps toss their feces)

I have been through 4 of those. Interestingly they were all within a few years of each other. Twice was on Hwy. 90. I got waved through as they were only stopping every 5th or whatever it was cars.

The 3rd time was on Hwy. 2. I am not sure what they were doing but they clearly were not really checking, as he quickly glanced at my DL and waved me through. He did not check anything else at all.

The 4th was a bit amusing. It was on Hwy. 179 and traffic was really slow. I would guess maybe a car every few minutes. The trooper looked at my DL then turned to the other patrolman and said “look at this”. I was driving an old 1978 LTD. The seat belts were too short so I had cut one off one of the rear belts and tied it in a square knot so it would fit.

The other trooper looked at the seat belt, they both laughed and sent me on my way.

I think both times I was stopped, they were looking for something and were just stopping cars as an excuse for what ever it was they were after.

The DHS is quickly becoming a national police force. They’ve got their fingers in everything from rape crimes to border issues. My hope is that they’ve gone too far and we can peel them back with a good conservative Congress.

I knew a road block was up ahead and went on through even though I’d had two beers. I passed the breathalyzer so the state trooper checked my license. I had just gotten out of the navy and hadn’t yet gotten a new license from that state. He told me to pull over to the side and to go get into his car. I did so and left his car door open. It was pouring down rain. He said “If the insided of that door gets wet me and you are goin’ round and round.”

I wiped rain water off the door and said “It’s wet.” Boy, was he pissed! He wrote me a ticket for not having a driver’s license for the state in which I was living since he couldn’t get me for anything else.

On Monday I called the state police and complained about how I, a veteran, had been treated. The head of the state police called me, apologized, told me the ticket would be dropped and the trooper would be getting a reprimand. hee hee

29
posted on 02/07/2013 10:55:55 AM PST
by Terry Mross
(Who long before America is no more?)

“I need to shine the flash light through the front windshield, maam, to make sure your seat belt is on correctly. Please move your right leg a little to the right. A little more, please. Now your left leg to the left. There we go. Thank you, maam, for your co-operation. You may proceed.”

“Hey, Bill! You shoulda’ seen this one! She wudn’t wearin’ no panties! Woo-Hoo!”

30
posted on 02/07/2013 11:03:27 AM PST
by Terry Mross
(Who long before America is no more?)

My wife called me one night here in Knoxville, Tn. area to tell me she was stopped at one of these stop and search sites while coming home from visiting friends about 11 o’clock at night. She flat out refused to give the officer her license and registration, and told him he had no business stopping her while she was driving home and not breaking any laws. I fully expected her to be calling me to come pick her up at the jail after she had been detained; but she said the officer let her go on her way. I couldn’t believe it! True Story

In 99 when I lived in Vegas, I had a 79 F150 4x4 that I had pretty well kitted out. It came with a rear window gun rack when I got it from the original owner.

Just outside the Spaghetti Bowl I got pulled over for no reason I could imagine. I usually drive at or just under the speed limit and am not prone to highway stunt driving.

Sitting in the cruiser I was grilled extensively as to all sorts of things. And being on the clock, I also had the benefit of the company’s legal services...so I played along.

“Why is there a gun rack in your truck?”

Because Officer, as you can probably tell by the chewing tobacco, 4x4 and tattoo, I are a redneck. At home is a 60 pound Basset Hound and a blond daughter. There is no gun in that rack or truck....And what if there were?

Perhaps you’d like to explain when any of those things became probable cause to pull me over since we both know I wasn’t speeding and Gun Racks are not an illegal item in Nevada.

“Uh...Have a nice day.”

They do it because it’s the closest they can get to fishing on a lake.

I noticed that. Couple that with the fact that there are no checkpoints in Pinellas, and it makes me think that they don’t have the manpower to do it; they’re economizing their troop strength along critical points.

So why all the attention to Tampa Bay?

41
posted on 02/07/2013 10:06:23 PM PST
by Old Sarge
(We are officially over the precipice, we just havent struck the ground yet...)

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.